Like father, like son

It is quite the rare sight to see a father and son represent their nation together, especially in the world of sport, but there was such an instance in the 2nd ISSF Islamic International Archery Championships, where Mohamed Albooshi and his son Saud from the United Arab Emirates were taking part in the men's recurve event.

Saud took up the bow in 2017, only a year after his father's international debut, and Mohamed, a policeman by day, has not only inspired his eldest son to take up archery but also both his daughters and another son.

Mohamed and his son have travelled to Morocco and Thailand before finding themselves in Bangladesh, where Saud, a ninth-grade student, outshone his father by finishing 16th out of 24 competitors with a score of 585 while 43-year-old Mohamed scored 500 to finish second-last.

The father-son duo also admitted they enjoyed the travelling aspect of taking part in national competitions. Mohamed has played in France, Denmark and Kuwait while Saud has been to Russia and Spain.

However, Saud has experienced something in Bangladesh which he had not seen elsewhere.

"It takes us only five minutes to reach the venue from the hotel but it takes more than half-an-hour to reach the hotel from the venue," said a smiling Saud.

The youngster is accompanied by three teammates, including his father, and coach Osama Elgemezy, who believed such archery championships are the right platform for Saud to improve.

"I have yet to win an international medal but I believe I can do it one day," Saud said.

Mohamed, who always inspires his son, was visibly happy to see his son outdo him in the competition and is keen to see him develop further.